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REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

342na Field Artillery, 89tli Division 



Published by the 

REGIMENTAL HISTORIAN 

342 nd Field Artillery 



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Copyright 1921 by 
WALSTON CHUBB 



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NOV 29 1921 



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CONTENTS 

page 

I. Camp Funston 3 

II. From F'unstox to Bordeaux 13 

in. The Trip to the Front 21 

IV. In Action Opposite the Hindenburg Line 29 

V. With the Army of Occupation 51 

VI. Emdarkation Orders 67 

Appendix A — List of Killed and Wounded in 

Action 75 

.\ppendix B — Excerpts from Artillery Plan 

OF Defense 79 

.Appendix C — Roster of Officers 342nd Field 

Artillery 97 

Appendix D — Permanent Organization 342nd 

Field Artillery 105 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



page 

Colonel George A. Nugent Frontispiece 

Camp Funston from Headquarters 4-5 

Two Views of Pannes 22 

Towns Along the Front 24 

P. C. of Battery F near Bouillonville 27 

Under Camouflage 30 

Familiar Targets 35 

Objects of Our Fire 40 

Mj^p : Euvezin Sector Facing page 42 

Two \Tews of Dampvitoux 45 

On the March 53 

The Indispensable Kitchen 54 

The Firing Batterv 55 

Guard Duty on the Luxemburg Border 57 

Map : Route of March Facing page 58 

Tpie Old Way and the Xew 60 

Firing Practice on the Range 63 

Everyone Worked in Germany 66 

Group of Officers at Camp Upton . . . .Facing page 66 
Airplane View of Review at Trier 70 



Df.dicated to 

Our Brothers-in-Arms 

Who Died in Their Country's Service 




COLONEL GEORGE A. NUGENT 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

342nd Field Artillery, 89tli Division 



I. 

CAMP FUNSTON 

THE 342nd Field Artillery was organ- 
ized on September .5th, 1917, at Camp 
Funston, Kansas, under the command 
of Colonel George A. Nugent, U. S. N. A. 
The regiment was recruited from the first 
draft of men from Green, Polk, Dallas, Stone, 
Bollinger, and Laclede counties of southern 
Missouri, — men for the most part from farms 
and rural communities. Although mainly offi- 
cered by newly commissioned graduates of the 
first Officers Training Camp at Fort Riley, 
there were a number of officers in the regiment 
who had seen long service in the regular army, 
including Colonel Nugent, Lt.-Col. Henry B. 
Clark and Major Malcolm P. Andruss, in com- 
mand of the first battalion. 

During the first weeks the entire work of 
organizing the six batteries and two companies 
fell upon the shoulders of Colonel Nugent, who 
was also in command of the Brigade in the 
absence of the Commanding General. Owing 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 



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CAMP FUNSTON 



to the lack of non-commissioned officers, the 
detailed labor of paper work, supply, and drill 
fell to the lot of the commissioned officers, 
who early discovered that there were many 
things about morning reports, memorandum 
receipts, and mess statements that were not 
taught at Ft. Riley. Due to the carefully ar- 
ranged system of distribution at the camp and 
efficient provisions for clothing and feeding the 
men, the first five per cent, of the draft was 
inducted into the service without severe hard- 
ship. That the task was performed without 
confusion, was due largely to the patience, 
willingness, and adaptability of the first train- 
loads of drafted men. The first non-commis- 
sioned officers, clerks, cooks and supply serg- 
eants of the new army were furnished by that 
contingent of the draft, and greatly facilitated 
the reception of the subsequent forty per cent. 



REGIAIENTAL HISTORY 




DQUAETEES 



By the end of September, the short space of 
three weeks, the regiment had enrolled 1,455 
men, very nearly filling its quota. Meanwhile, 
building construction of the camp was keeping 
pace with the increase in troops, and before 
the end of the month the regiment had moved 
into a second set of temporary quarters in the 
16th Unit, where most of the fourteen hundred 
men were received, registered, bathed, clothed 
and examined. Just how the cold showers, the 
ill-fitting uniforms, and the strange routine of 
roll-calls, foot drill, mess, and more foot drill, 
impressed the men is a matter for future 
reminiscences. Certainly there was novelty in 
the rapidly changing surroundings, with 
soldiers drilling among lumber scrap-piles, 
along the dusty streets of the completed can- 
tonment, or again on the scarcely trodden 
prairie grass of the flats. When company and 



6 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

battery organization had begun to take shape, 
innoculations completed, and guard duty 
estabHshed, the regiment moved across what 
was later the "Amusement Zone", into its 
final quarters in Units 22 and 23. Here train- 
ing had so far progressed that the first efforts, 
after building walks and clearing the ground, 
were directed to making wooden rifles for 
simulation of the manual of arms, for as yet 
there had been no rifles received and even the 
guard carried only wooden clubs. One of the 
most important parts of the training at first 
consisted in conditioning the men. Under a 
specially trained and energetic instructor in 
calisthenics, the men gained daily in alertness 
and in physical bearing. Systematic athletic 
programs were also carried out on Wednesday 
and Saturday afternoons, including- football, 
obstacle racing, sack-rushes and the usual field 
events. Much of the actual instruction con- 
sisted in introducing the men to the customs 
and habits of the service, and in constant atten- 
tion to the details of sanitation and health. A 
non-commissioned oflicers' school was con- 
ducted at this time to give the marked leaders 
among the men a superiority in drill. 

The problem of equipment was a difficult 
one. The regiment was org-anized as a dis- 
mounted motorized heavy artillery outfit, 6- 
inch or 155 mm. Howitzer; so that train- 
ing in the School of the Driver was not con- 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 7 

templated. But motor equipment was unavail- 
able. As a makeshift, some old Spanish War 
relics were hauled down from the Artillery 
Parade at Ft. Riley and served to simulate the 
pieces for preliminary drill of the gun squads. 
Since we had the distinction of being- heavy 
artillery, we used the Drill and Service Regaila- 
tions for the 6-inch Howitzer, a publication 
rarely followed before or since in the service 
of the piece. Some theoretical training for 
specialist details and for non-commissioned of- 
ficers was attempted at this time. It was not 
until late in November that a number of model 
1898 rifles were issued and following that, 
target practice conducted on the range just 
west of Riley. 

AA^hile ordnance equipment was certainly 
scarce, the service of supply was on the other 
hand efficient in respect to food and clothing. 
The men were well fed and comfortable. 

Although these first months were without 
startling events, some startling changes were 
certainly brought about by the novel monotony 
of the routine itself, chiefly in the appearance 
of the men. ]\Iuch progress had been made. 
With the winter weather of December, the 
schedule was changed only by an increase in 
indoor instruction. The routine was broken 
by occasional ceremonies and reviews, and out- 
door work was varied bv road marches and 



8 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

trench digging at the Divisional trench system 
on Carpenter Hill. The December record was 
marred by considerable sickness throughout 
the Division, and the regiment lost fourteen 
men by death, largely from pneumonia. This 
began a series of quarantines that were suc- 
cessively imposed upon the regiment, for 
mumps, measles, and meningitis. In connec- 
tion with the latter epidemic it is worthy of 
note that the 342nd was the first unit in the 
new army that offered itself for experimental 
innoculation with an anti-meningitis serum. 
About 1,000 men were innoculated by a physi- 
cian from the Rockefeller Institute, the experi- 
ment leading to the treatment of 5,000 men in 
the Division and establishing the efficacy of 
the serum for at least temporary immuniza- 
tion. 

The holiday season was duly celebrated. 
Thanksgiving spoke well for the progress of 
the cooks and mess-serg"eants, and those that 
could not go on furlough certainly could not 
have feasted much better. On the afternoon 
of Thanksgiving Day the regiment marched in 
a body to an interdivisional football game. 
Christmas was marked b}^ a similar feast and 
more athletic events. In the morning the Divi- 
sion had an out-door meet and field day, the 
Regiment had a Christmas tree and band con- 
cert, and the batteries looked after the other 
festivities and the gifts. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 9 

The next few months passed more slowly 
for this regiment of motorless, gunless, motor- 
ized artillery. The only equipment received 
consisted of U. S. Model 1917 rifles, and all 
artillery training was necessarily theoretical. 

In so technical a branch as artillery it is fit- 
ting to lay some emphasis upon the training 
of the officers. The elementary and decidedly 
general training of the First Training Camp 
had left a great deal to be learned, especially 
in the conduct of Position Warfare. In the 
early part of December a Brigade School of 
Fire w^as started under the Directorship of 
Lt.-Col. Stephen H. Mould, successor to Col. 
Clark. With a corps of translators the school 
was energetically pushed by Capt. Francois 
Munro of the French Mission. Special indoor 
terrains were built and classes held daily. The 
translated French books and pamphlets were 
mimeographed, distributed, and explained by 
daily lectures of the school staff. Later, out- 
door exercises were attempted. While these 
activities were hardly popular at the time, the 
value of the instruction was fully appreciated 
later on in the stress of training in the A. E. F. 
Other training for officers was had at Divi- 
sional specialist schools — liaison, gas defence, 
intelligence, machine gunnery and the like. 
Beginning in November, two officers a month 
attended the Ft. Sill School of Fire, for a three 
months course. Several officers and enlisted 



10 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

men were also sent to Ordnance Schools for 
motor and tractor instruction. The records 
of our representatives in these schools was 
creditable throug-hout. 

Changes in the personnel occurred in the 
latter part of December, when an increase of 
60 officers from the second training camp re- 
ported for duty. With eleven promotions the 
regiment was largely over-officered. It was at 
this time also, that headquarters began calling 
for men to go overseas in replacement detach- 
ments, and the ensuing process of separation 
met with small favor, because it involved the 
breaking up of friendly groups mustered in 
from the same locality. 

The training began more intensively in 
April when service practice took place on the 
target range ; hrst with the three inch guns 
and later with 4.7'' Howitzers. To prepare 
the men for the contemplated motorization of 
the regiment, 30 men a week were sent to the 
Manhattan Agricultural College for a short 
course in motors and tractors. The regiment 
was also assigned four "Quad" trucks for 
practice work. By the end of the training 
period, some confidence was felt that with one 
officer and a number of men specially trained 
for each battery, the regiment could handle 
motor equipment. 

To represent Camp Funston as a mere train- 
ing ground, and the regiment as six batteries 



R E G I M E N T A L H I S T O R Y 11 

and two companies would be to omit a real de- 
scription of the life there. Passes were liber- 
ally distributed, and the men were given much 
liberty in visiting Kansas City and the nearby 
towns. The "Y" and later the "Zone" served 
to furnish recreation. The spring season found 
the regiment well stocked with some of the 
best baseball players in the country, and the 
Divisional Team itself used eight of our play- 
ers. The baseball enthusiast of the Regiment 
was Major IMalcolm P. Andruss, who scoured 
the country and pulled all strings to get such 
names on the regimental lineup as : Alexander, 
]\Iitchell, Noyes, Lambeth, Novak, Ward, 
Wetzel and several other stars from the major 
leagues, and with college players among the 
officers such as Lindsey of Kansas, Clark of 
Illinois and Lewis of Washington, the team 
went through its career unbeaten. 

Although the athletic prowess of the regi- 
ment was largely instrumental in cementing it 
into a unit, the secret of an unusual "esprit de 
corps" lay in the leadership of Col. Nugent. 
Though the discipline was strictly maintained, 
there was not a man in the regiment who fos- 
tered a grudge against him for injustice or 
severity. There was not an officer who did 
not think that in ability, Col. Nugent was 
htted to be Chief of U. S. Artillery. It was 
the Colonel's insight into the process of transi- 
tion from civil to militarv life that won him 



12 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

loyalty. Untiring in devotion to detail, and 
exacting as he was of the best efforts of every- 
one, Col, Nugent's wise answer to hasty criti- 
cism of the officers and men was always, "Give 
them time." In the last analysis the solidarity 
of the regiment was largely a loyalty to its 
leader. Its points of excellence were merely a 
reflection of his policy. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 13 

II. 

FROM FUNSTON TO BORDEAUX 

WHEN the regiment left Camp Funs- 
ton on June 3rd, 1918, it was con- 
siderably below strength, having 
contributed an average of 100 men a month to 
replacement detachments, during the previous 
five months. The regiment traveled East in 
three sections, made up of tourist cars, with 
kitchen and baggage cars. Arriving at Ho- 
boken, N. J., on the morning of June 6th, 
the entire day was consumed in ferrying 
across to Long Island and it was late in 
the evening when the batteries arrived at 
Camp Mills and hied into their company 
streets in the tent embarkation camp. Here 
the time was largely spent in preparation of 
records, in equipping the men, and in the in- 
tensive training of about 300 new recruits, 
m.ostly from eastern states. Passes to New 
York were plentiful and among other outings 
a memorable hike was taken from the camp to 
Long Beach for a ''Regimental Swim." 

Under conditions of considerable secrecy 
the regiment prepared to leave during the 
night of June 26th, and at dawn June 27th, 
entrained in good order for Long Island Ferry 
and ferried to the White Star Docks. Here we 
embarked on a giant ship labelled H. M. T. 



14 R E G I ^I E N T A L HISTORY 

F-8261, which we were instructed was a 
British Transport, called the ''Justicia" a ship 
of 36,000 tons displacement. 

The "Justicia" started dow^n the harbor on 
the morning- of June 28th, and joined the con- 
voy of camouflaged vessels in the lower bay, 
under the escort of the cruiser "Huntington", 
the auxiliary cruiser "Virginia", a number of 
small "chasers" and a dirigible balloon. At 
the time submarines had been reported on the 
Atlantic coast and the first night was not with- 
out qualms. The following day the guards 
and life boat drills w^ere organized and became 
a part of the daily routine. General Donnelly 
was in command of the ship, and the 342nd 
being- the only complete unit on board, fur- 
nished all the interior and exterior guard and 
the bulkhead and lookout guard. There were 
also on board two replacement detachments 
considerably under-officered and two or three 
advanced detachments from other divisions. 

The atmosphere of mystery surrounding 
our course, occasional sudden changes of di- 
rection, active rumors, and the strict regula- 
tion of lights at night, made the trip some- 
what adventurous. Due to one or two slow 
vessels, the convoy progressed slowly, and as 
the men became accustomed to the routine, 
drills on the deck were instituted with calis- 
thenics and running. An event that broke the 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 15 

monotony was a celebration of July 4th that 
included an address in the morning by General 
Charles G. Treat (on his way to Italy) and a 
number of boxing- bouts in the afternoon. 
Every evening the band of our regiment gave 
a concert on the decks and it was always with 
regret that the "lights out" order and "clear 
the decks" followed each other so rapidlv. It 
was anything- but pleasant in the crowded ham- 
mocks of the hold sections, where the men were 
quartered. 

One evening, that of July 8th, we sighted a 
small black shape in the distance, the first of a 
new escort of British destroyers. Then slowly 
the semaphores and projectors began to signal 
and finally our convoy of twelve ships was in- 
creased by eight destroyers. The "Hunting- 
ton" left us here to return to the States. 

On the morning of July 9th we rose to find 
land in sight — a mysterious land of high cliffs 
and rocks. From "some one that knows" we 
learned that it was Scotland, and later Ireland 
and the Isle of Man were pointed out. And 
some one else that knew told us of the reputa- 
tion of the localities for lurking* submarines. 
During the morning, one of the destroyers fur- 
nished some excitement by blowing some 
mines that were picked up. In the meanwhile, 
the serious concern of the powers on the bridge 
was beginning to give way to a solid look of 
satisfaction. 



16 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

Someone blundered on the morning of the 
10th. We were all awakened at 4:30 for a 
pre-arranged disembarkation, only to see the 
sun rise over the towers of Liverpool as we 
swung on the ebbing tide of the Mersey. It 
was not until hve o'clock that night that the 
great ship was finally docked in the tide locks 
and, each with a small travel ration, the men 
filed off into the streets of Liverpool. 

The regiment marched through Liverpool, 
to the disembarkation camp at Knotty Ash, a 
tent-camp apparently built in a private estate 
or Park. Although the full packs and forced 
inactivity of the voyage made this 5-mile hike 
something of a trial, the scenes of wartime 
Liverpool furnished diversions. The disposi- 
tion of the people was friendly and generous, 
but one dirty faced little rascal seemed to 
sum up the general feeling when, leaving the 
column in disappointment, he remarked ''Aw, 
they're only going". And the real heroes of the 
city were very evidently those who "Came 
Back", the blue-clad convalescents that 
watched from crutches along the way and 
waved from the hospital windows. 

After a comfortable night at Knotty x\sh 
there was another hike and we entrained for 
Winchester. Arriving late in the evening we 
again marched five miles throug'h picturesque 
Winchester to Winnell Downs Camp. W^e 
took quarters in a half completed portion of the 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 17 

camp with inadequate messing- facilities. Al- 
though the spirit of the men was excellent 
under the circumstances, there was a distinct 
impression of pinched conditions in England, 
and comments were heard comparing the gen- 
erous American ration with the bread and 
cheese allowed by the British. 

The morning of July 12th found us again 
on the march to entrain for Southampton. A 
short wait at the docks gave us opportunity to 
look over a park of artillery material, cap- 
tured or condemned, and to take a good look 
at the ships, most of which bore heavy scars 
of submarine encounters or displayed gaping 
holes where torpedoes had torn through. The 
light channel steamers — side wheelers — rapid- 
ly cleared port and entered upon the channel. 
It became apparent very early that it would be 
necessary for the decks to be cleared on ac- 
count of the weather and what had been dis- 
comfort before, became acute distress. The 
"Marguerite" and "Mona's Queen", our two 
transports, were violently tossed about 
throughout the night in the choppy seas. 
Hardly a man escaped sea-sickness, and at one 
time it was impossible to find twelve able men 
to relieve the guard stationed at the gang- 
ways and pumps of the "Marguerite". It was 
a bad night. 

When on the morning of July 13th the 
regiment lined up on the decks at Le Havre, 



18 R E G I AI E N T A L HISTORY 

it was a tired organization. Marching 
through Le Havre, then the seat of the 
Belgian Government, we arrived about noon 
of the 13th at U. S. Rest Camp No. 2. 
Though crowded here in small tents, we got a 
good rest of a full twenty-four hours. 

Bastille Day found the 342nd F. A., A. E. F., 
marching in pouring- rain through the streets 
of Le Havre to entrain for parts unknown. 
We soon learned from our interpreters, who 
joined us here, that our station was to be some- 
where near Bordeaux. The train was a typical 
troop train with the "40 Hommes, 8 Chevaux" 
legend on the box cars, and the regiment again 
appreciated the luxury of American travel. 
With occasional stops for coffee and water we 
crept slowly south through western France to 
Bordeaux, and on July 16th, detrained at St. 
]\ledard, Gironde, and hiked some eight kilo- 
meters to the town of Le Taillan, where we 
were billeted, with the French inhabitants, for 
three weeks, under the administration of Camp 
de Souge. Here we received a battery of the 
guns we were finally to use, — 1915 model 
Schneider 155 mm. Howitzer, — and both offi- 
cers and men settled down to master the drill 
and service of the piece. About a week after 
we arrived we learned definitely, and for the 
first time, that we were to be a horse-drawn 
regiment, and details were sent to receive our 
first consignment of horses at Camp de Souge. 



R E G I ]M E N T A L H I S T O R Y 19 

Although we had always been skeptical of ever 
receiving any tractors and motors, this was 
something of a surprise, for all our training 
had been for motor equipment. However, 
thanks to the farmers of the regiment, there 
were plenty of men who were at home with 
horses and mules. As one man from old Mis- 
souri expressed it, "I ain't done nothing all my 
life, only drive mules". 

Of all the regiment's experiences in France 
the stay in Tail Ian was perhaps the most 
pleasant. Since we were the first American 
troops to be billeted in this town, the inhabi- 
tants took the opportunity to g"ive us a hearty 
welcome. One afternoon, Sunday the 21st of 
July, the Mayor of the Commune extended a 
formal invitation to General Donnelly and to 
all the officers of the regiment to attend a 
punch at which the Mayor presided and at 
which mutual expressions of good will were 
exchanged. Refreshments consisted of cakes, 
light wine, and champagne served to the guests 
and functionaries on tables set under the 
trees of a small village square. The soldiers 
and populace fraternized on the sidelines and 
listened with interest to the speeches. The 
regiment later returned the courtesy by a simi- 
lar farewell party. 

On August 3rd the regiment left Le Taillan 
for the barracks at Camp de Souge and com- 



20 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

menced the six weeks strenuous course at the 
School of Fire. The crowded curriculum of 
this six weeks included the final and basic 
training- for the front. Telephone, radio, ma- 
chine gun and reconnaissance officers and de- 
tails took practical courses and drivers and 
cannoneers had their first actual experience in 
handling a battery. After two weeks, firing 
was begun on the sandy range to the south of 
the cantonment, applying the theoretical work 
under the school instructors. Such excellent 
progress was made by the Brigade during this 
training that we completed the final big prob- 
lem a week in advance and received official 
commendation from the Director of the School. 
Whether it was this record or larger considera- 
tions that put us on the "priority list", we were 
soon cautioned to prepare to move, and equip- 
ment was rapidly received, guns, horses, and 
materiel being taken over from another 
Brigade, then attending the School. Time was 
barely allowed for fitting harness and for some 
practice in reconnaissance and occupation of 
position, when entraining orders were re- 
ceived. 

While at de Souge, Colonel Nugent was pro- 
moted to Brigadier General with orders to 
proceed back to the States. From that time 
Colonel Earl Biscoe took charge of the regi- 
ment and was in command throughout our 
entire operations. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 21 

III. 

THE TRIP TO THE FRONT 

ON very short notice the Regiment 
moved out. The schedule called for 
eight train sections to leave at six hour 
intervals from the long loading ramp at 
Bonneau Station near the Camp. Although 
loading materiel, horses and mules was dis- 
tinctly a new problem, the difficulties of it did 
not prevent the trains from pulling out on time. 
Due to plentiful room and the use of rolling 
kitchens for hot food, the trip was more com- 
fortable than that from Le Havre. In spite of 
the fact that no stops were made to exercise 
the horses, very few animals were lost on the 
three-day trip. 

The first section (Headquarters) arrived at 
Toul about noon of September 18th and imme- 
diately took the road for a forced march 
through Lucey, Menil-la-Tour, Bernecourt, 
Flirey and Essey to Pannes, where Regimental 
Headquarters was established. Following in 
rapid succession and under the same orders, 
unloading and departure of the batteries took 
place. When the first battalion arrived that 
evening its orders were to be in position at a 
point thirty kilometers distant and ready to 
fire, the following night. Although compli- 
ance meant the loss of a number of already 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 




THE MAIN STREET 




SCENE OF OUR CASUALTIES OF SEPT. 21, 191 1 



TWO VIEWS OF PANNES 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 23 

exhausted animals, the battalion took the road, 
arrived at the Bois de Mort Alare in time for a 
few hours rest, and went into position that 
night, in a position just south of Beney. De- 
training- at dawn on the morning of the 19th 
the second battalion also immediately took the 
road and camped below Flirey for the night of 
the 19th, taking up position on the 20th, 
slightly south of the first battalion in the same 
ravine. 

The third battalion took a position on the 
right near Bouillonville on the night of Sep- 
tember 21st. In all battalions the batteries 
Avere close together. On the night of the 20th, 
after being in position only a few hours, Bat- 
tery "-A" opened fire for adjustment on Damp- 
vitoux. The other batteries were allowed more 
time for digging- gun pits, arranging camou- 
flag'e, and getting up ammunition, but all went 
into action shortly after arrival. It appeared 
that the reason for the haste was the scarcity 
of artillery in the sector following the St. 
IMihiel drive, and it was more the assurance of 
artillery support than the necessity for action, 
that required the haste. The regiment was in 
support of our own division on the line organ- 
ized following the St. Mihiel drive on the 13th. 

Due to separate positions and tactical em- 
ployment the battalions now became separate 
units, knowing nothing- of each other's ac- 
tivity. By an order from the 4th Corps, on 



24 


REGIMENTAL 


HISTORY 






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LOWER PAET OF THIAUCOURT 




BOUIIiLONVrLLE, HEADQUARTERS 3RD BATTALION 

TOWNS ALONG THE FRONT 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 25 

September 21st, the first battalion was assigned 
as corps artillery for counter battery and corps 
reprisal work, and remained a part of the regi- 
ment only for the purpose of supply. The 
remaining batteries continued under divisional 
command of the 89th Division, which was then 
part of the 4th Corps, First Army, and held a 
sector with the 42nd Division on the left and 
78th Division on the right. The disposition 
of the Regiment was then as follows : The two 
batteries of the first battalion formed a "nest" 
at the very head of the Ravine just East of the 
Pannes-Beney Road, known as Le Fond de 
Marmez (9810) with an observation post just 
north of Beney and command post at the bat- 
tery positions. The second battalion was just 
south of the first along the same ravine, "C" 
Battery at 0060, "D" Battery at 9899, Com- 
mand post at "D" Battery position and ob- 
servation post at B-1513. The third battalion 
had batteries close together on the hill just 
east of Bouillonville, with P. C. in the town 
and observation post at 2801. 

The echelons had constituted a problem from 
the very start. Under orders from higher au- 
thority the echelon was first established in the 
open valley of the Madine near Pannes, a con- 
venient but dangerous location, as events 
proved. Whether the Boche had observed the 
exposed picket-lines from his planes, or wheth- 
er he was merely picking a likely location for a 



26 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

target is unknown, but on the evening of Sep- 
tember 21st a number of ISO's fell among the 
lines. Besides four men of "D" Battery killed 
outright by Hun shells, eight men were 
wounded and two died in hospital and fourteen 
horses were lost. The following day the entire 
echelon was moved to a woods north of Non- 
sard, and finally on the 25th to the Bois de 
Mort Alare among the trenches of the old 
salient, where lack of shelter, mud, and water 
meant hard labor for the men, and made life a 
burden for the officers in charge. The task of 
furnishing a rock footing for the horses, of 
building stables, and huts for the men, and 
kitchens to cook food for those at the battery 
was no inconsiderable labor. Originally in 
poor shape, and pulled down by the railroad 
trip, some of the animals never recovered from 
the pull from Toul, and were lost. When ii 
later became necessary to evacuate a consider- 
able number wnth thrush and mange, the regi- 
ment was in part immobilized for lack of trans- 
portation, and it became a problem to keep the 
horses in shape for the daily work of hauling 
rations and ammunition. 

The adjustment of supplies and rations was 
soon worked out satisfactorily. Although reg- 
ulations prevented the use of kitchens near 
the battery positions, hot food was brought 
up, which after the first week improved rapid- 
ly in quality. Rations and supplies were drawn 
at Bouillonville and distributed at echelons. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 27 

Ammunition supply was simplified for the 
1st and 2nd battalions by the use of a narrow 
gauge railroad up the Fond de la Marmez, and 
the third batallion was so close to the road 
that direct truck deliveries could be made. 
Later dispositions of the batteries made it 
necessary to use horses to haul from the for- 
ward dump, to the guns in some cases. It is 
notable that the heavy and impractical cais- 
sons were never used for this purpose. 

Once established on the front in this "quiet 
sector," the regiment began to settle down to 
the routine of firing at night and working dur- 
ing the day, sleeping between times. Though 




^>Sfc«ji. 



p. C. OF BATTERY "f NEAE EOUILLONVELLE 



28 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

our areas were shelled periodically, the first 
impression of an artilleryman's life at the front 
was less danger and more plain hard labor. 
Carrying 100-lb. shells up to the guns, wash- 
ing and greasing them, and fuzing and firing 
at night left little time to worry about any- 
thing but food and sleep. The German dug- 
outs were adopted and improved and after a 
shell or two landed in our neighborhood we 
also began to develop some very fair excava- 
tions. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 29 

IV. 

IN ACTION OPPOSITE THE 
HINDENBURG LINE 

DURING the first few days there was 
considerable harassing fire by the 
enemy and a number of successful 
raids by our troops. Although our batteries 
did some adjusting and were called upon 
in the evenings, as a rule, for reprisal fire 
on Hageville, St. Julien, and Chambley, 
the first protracted firing was called for on 
the evening of Sept. 26th, the date of the drive 
along the whole front from Verdun to Fland- 
ers. For the regiment this was the first experi- 
ence of waiting at the lanyards for the H — 
hour and the first experience of the flash and 
roar as a general bombardment broke loose. 
Although only a small raid was attempted that 
night on the right of our sector, the firing 
lasted from midnight till after dawn, expend- 
ing about 300 rounds per battery. Whether 
the rumors of a possible advance in the sector 
had any foundation remains undisclosed, but 
considering the decoding, the synchronizing, 
and transmittal of confidential orders to the 
batteries, the action might have been a major 
one. And it required some time before an 
earlv morning shoot became purely a matter 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 



y^:- 








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ymi^p^^^m^ 


c-~ 




_^,f 




%£^!sms^ 


I 




. . 


k " - 



A POSITION IN THE OPEN 




GUN EMPLACEMENT NEAR BOUILLONVILLE 



UNDER CAMOUFLAGE 



K E G I M E N T A L HISTORY 31 

of routine. In the course of time, however, 
the receipt of orders over the 'phone, the as- 
signment of missions, the rousing of the offi- 
cers and calculations of data became a com- 
mon-place, and usually within fifteen minutes 
after receipt of an order the men were out, 
lighting devices set, and the first shell over. 
"Rounds complete" became merely a grateful 
signal for the men to curl up in their blankets 
and fall asleep, just as though hurling a few 
tons (more or less) of high explosive across 
miles of country had been a custom for years 
in the Ozarks. 

A typical regimental operations order indi- 
cates the nature of the work executed in con.- 
nection Avith a raid : 



Headquarters 342nd Field Artillery 

American Expeditionary Forces 

November 1st, 1918 

Operations : 

1. A detachment of three hundred men will 
execute a raid on the Bois de Bonseil shortly 
before dawn November 2nd, 1918. 

2. Alission — 2nd Battalion 342nd Field 
Artillerv. 



32 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

To neutralize machine gun emplacements 
and keep enemy personnel in dugouts. 

3. Beginning at H+15, one gun will deliver 
firP nn J361.100 y,,- , tt , , < , 1360.980 

^'' °" (248.940 liftmgatH+44to ^^^^^^^ 
where it will remain until the end of the raid. 

One gun will be placed on each of the follow- 
ing points: 

361.160 361.540 361.635 361.865 362.020 361.050 362.030 
249.050 249.740 249.250 249.350 249.380 249450 249.540 

4. The rate of fire will be two (2) rounds 
per piece per minute from H+15 to H+20, and 
one round per piece per minute until the end 
of the raid. 

5. When raiding party has returned to 
point of departure, single white star cartridges 
will be sent up until the artillery ceases fire. 
When rocket signals are sighted this informa- 
tion will be telephoned to these Headquarters. 

6. Watches will be synchronized at 19:00 
o'clock November 1st, 1918. H hour will be 
announced later. 

Biscoe. 



REGIAIENTAL HISTORY 33 

In the following pages is an account of the 
regimental operations during the weeks at the 
front. 

During the night of Sept. 27-28 there was 
heavy fire by all artillery to hinder a relief in 
the German lines. 

On Sept. 27th a daily schedule of harassing 
fire was published allowing 10 rounds per gun 
per day. This allowance gave the batteries 
a chance to adjust for close shooting, the 
previous fire having been mostly zone fire on 
towns or localities in the back areas. Al- 
though frequent short bursts of reprisal fire 
were directly ordered and occasional raids 
took place, the first three weeks in October 
were very quiet. This was due to a variety of 
causes. By order of October 5th, it was an- 
nounced that the supply of ammunition was 
low in the sector and that batteries would keep 
strictly within their allowance. Moreover the 
policy of keeping quiet was necessitated by 
reliefs in the line. On Oct. 5-6-7th the 37th 
Division relieved the 89th and between the 
15th and 17th the 28th Division relieved the 
37th. 

Meanwhile some changes took place in the 
disposition of the regiment. On Oct. 6th the 
second batallion moved to an advanced posi- 
tion on the left in the Bois de Beney north of 
the Beney-St. Benoit road. On the nights of 



34 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

the 7th and 8th the first battalion, still under 
the Corps, moved into the positions vacated 
by "C" and "D" Batteries. At this time Alajor 
Lee A. 3»IcCalla left the regiment to go to Staff 
School at Langres and Capt. A. J. Watson as- 
sumed command of the second battalion in its 
new position, establishing a P.C. in the old 
railway station of St. Benoit. just behind the 
battery positions. Capt. Watson remained in 
command of the battalion until Oct. 26th. 
when Major F. J. Williams, previously Chief 
of Section of the Artillery Information Service 
(A. I. S. ) of the Corps, took charge. 

Most of the adjusting during this time was 
upon church steeples and buildings in the 
towns along the Hindenburg line. Occas- 
ionally however, it was possible to observe fire 
on dugouts and works. The nature of the 
terrain made observation rather difiicult. The 
Hindenburg Line opposite us had been built 
about two years before and was characterized 
by the usual reverse slope positions, extensive 
use of concrete in dugouts and emplacements 
and double lines of wire. The Chief of Staff 
of our Division writing on the nature of the 
terrain, remarked that "the natural strength 
of the enemy's line, his left resting on the hill 
and woods east of Rembercourt, and his right 
on Lake Lachaussee, is noticeable." It was ac- 
cordingly rarely possible for us to observe 
directly the results of our fire, even when 



R E G I M E X T A L H I S T O R Y 




MON PLAISIE FAEM 




A REFERENCE POINT, THE CHURCH AT DOMMARTIN 



FAMILIAR TARGETS 



36 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

weather conditons were favorable. On Oc- 
tober 15th, observers for Battery "F" adjusted 
on some camouflage just to the right of Mon 
Plaisir Farm, a feature of the terrain which 
dominated the right of our sector. The initial 
shots of the adjustment fell very near the 
target and five men were seen to run out, only 
to be caught by machine gun fire from our own 
lines. A total of 119 rounds were fired on this 
target, and that evening a patrol from or 
lines found a wrecked concrete mixer and the 
bodies of fifteen of the enemy in a partially 
constructed concrete dugout. Battery "C" 
had a similar experience in adjusting on a regi- 
mental P. C. to the left of Dampvitoux, when 
a number of the enemy were caught by our 
fire. 

Perhaps the most tangible evidence we had 
that our firing was efTective was the fact that 
we kept on excellent terms with the infantry 
of the various divisions which we supported. 
We had occasional visits from the infantry 
officers who led the raids, and their comment 
was uniformly favorable as to our accompany- 
ing fire. That our fire for demolition did its 
work was clearly shown by subsequent 
examination of our targets, such as Marimbois 
Farm, Mon Plaisir Farm, the towns them- 
selves, and various cross roads and emplace- 
ments. 

Some attempts were made during this time 



R E G I AI E N T A L HISTORY Zl 

to adjust with airplane observation and al- 
though the planes frequently got into liaison 
with our ground stations the reglages were al- 
most invariably interrupted by hostile chasse 
planes. A few adjustments were made by 
sound ranging in the first battalion and visi- 
bility occasionally allowed work with the 
balloon companies. However, the enemy's 
superiority in the air continued on this front, 
due to our lack of any chasse squadrons. His 
activities included almost daily reconnaissance 
over our lines, some night bombing, and a 
number of successful attacks on the balloons. 
Our regiment sufifered chiefly from undis- 
turbed hostile airplane adjustments on our 
positions, and was handicapped by the lack of 
plentiful observation for long-range adjust- 
ment. 

Cases of heavy shelling under airplane ad- 
justment caused some of the few casualties 
suffered by the regiment in its stay at the front. 
After the batteries of the first battalion had 
fired most of the night on the 28th of Septem- 
ber, a boche plane was seen flying about, above 
the position and at seven o'clock the Germans 
opened up with fire for effect and fired a total 
of 160 rounds for demolition. Two hundred 
rounds of powder were burned and with them 
camouflage and considerable individual equip- 
ment. Four men of the Headquarters Detail 
were wounded, one man was gassed, and one 



38 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

of the guns was put out of action for several 
days. Again on October 4th a plane adjusted 
on the same position, wounding one man in 
"A" Battery, four men in "B" Battery and one 
in "C" Battery. By good fortune the guns 
were only scarred. The batteries were moved 
from the position on the 7th. Another case in 
point occurred later in the month, when "D" 
Battery's position was adjusted on in the after- 
noon, by a low-flying plane. Two men were 
slightly wounded. With the exception of a 
smashed limber, no damage was done to the 
guns, owing to the fact that the two center 
pieces had been moved 200 meters to the north 
on the day before, leaving only the camouflage. 

With the exception of the above casualties 
and those at the echelon in September, there 
were few worthy of mention. "E" Battery suf- 
fered heavily from gas on October 25th. Al- 
though the hostile shell fire caused but one in- 
jury, an explosion of a near-by dump of gas 
shells gassed twenty-one men of the firing- 
battery, then in action. One officer and one 
Sergeant of "F" Battery were slightly l)urned 
by mustard gas on the night of Oct. 15th, 
while camouflaging a forward observation 
post at B2051, but neither injury was serious. 
Considering that most of the batteries were 
well forward near the "line of resistance" the 
casualties during the entire period at the front 
were very light. 

When the 28th Division came into the sector 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 39 

on the 16th and had become well located, it 
soon became evident that more active work 
was in store for the artillery. The sector was 
a wide one, extending" from the Lake on the 
left to Jaulny on the right. (The 89th Division 
had soon after our arrival taken over the sector 
of the 42nd Division and a part of the 2nd Divi- 
sion sector.) When the 28th arrived, it toi/k 
over this entire sector, with the 39th French 
Division on the left and the 7th Division on the 
right. Following this relief a number of other 
changes took place. On October 25th the daily 
harassing and interdiction tire was replaced by 
a daily schedule of concentration on sensitive 
points, prescribing the firing of from 120 to 300 
rounds daily by this regiment, on targets such 
as dumps, machine gun emplacements, com- 
mand posts, trench mortars and like. On the 
26th the first battalion was returned to the 
command of the Division from the Corps. On 
October 29th, both batteries of that battalion 
moved to the left, taking up positions in the 
Bois des Rays, just north of Hattonville, where 
the battalion Command Post was established. 
The echelon moved from the Essey location to 
Creue. 

The activity of the 28th Division began on 
October 21st. On that date a gas bombard- 
ment was ordered on the ravine running north- 
east from Rembercourt. The regiment con- 
tributed about 250 of the rounds of the 4,000 



40 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 





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4|UM||afeR^A ' 


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HL^ 1 


f r i-^4M^ 


^^jilnr^^t 


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wjKfK^i^^ 


^ ^^"^Ss^^. : 


3"^"" 


* 




i * ■ 



CHAREY FROM MON PLAISIR FARM 




A STREET IN ST. JULIEN 



THE OBJECTS OF SOME OF OUR HARRASSING FIRE 



REGIAIENTAL HISTORY 41 

gas shells that were concentrated there that 
evening at 8:00 o'clock. Later that night a 
raid was made on Marimbois Farm, bringrinsf 
in a total of 26 prisoners. The 2nd Battalion 
fired 428 rounds of H.E. to accompany this 
raid, on the road running to the farm from 
Dampvitoux and on the nearby salient in the 
line. On the nights of October 27th and 28th, 
Division and Corps boundaries were changed, 
the 7th Division taking over the Jaulny Sub- 
Sector on the right, and the 28th taking over 
part of the 39th (French) Division on the left. 
Apparently to cover these reliefs raiding 
parties were sent out both nights. On the 
night of the 27th the Bois de Domartin was 
penetrated. Fire was delivered by the 342nd 
as follows : 2nd Battalion on Marimbois Farm 
and the depot dc materiel near the woods; 3rd 
Battalion on the road leading from Damp- 
vitoux, and on a zone to the rear of the salient 
in that part of the line. Total rounds fired, 
1158. This raid netted three prisoners. 

The following night at the same hour a raid 
was made on the Bois Bonseil, bringing in 
eight prisoners. Missions were similar to 
those of the previous night and 945 rounds 
were fired by the two battalions engaged. 

Again on the morning of November 2nd a 
raiding party left our lines for the Bois Bon- 
seil, this time returning with two officers and 
42 other prisoners. Fire of the batteries of the 



42 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

342nd consisted in neutralizing- machine gun 
fire and keeping enemy personnel in their dug- 
outs. The regiment fired 2142 rounds during 
this raid. 

Two raids on the Bois Bonseil having fol- 
lowed each other in rapid succession, a simul- 
ated raid was planned for that night. For this 
purpose fire was delivered at the same place 
on the morning of the 3rd, the barrage lifted 
forward as before and then a rolling' barrage 
combed the woods to the rear. Supposing that 
the boche would come out of his dugouts at 
this time to meet the expected attack, the en- 
tire fire was concentrated back again to the 
area first shelled, using No. 5 gas exclusively. 
Whether this fire took the enemy by surprise 
or not remains undetermined. The fire lasted 
only 15 minutes in all and the 342nd fired 150 
rounds concentrated on the northwest corner 
of the woods. 

On the third of November information was 
received indicating a withdrawal by the enemy 
along the entire front. Accordingly three 
strong reconnaissance parties of one company 
each advanced across no man's land at dawn 
of the 4th, the right party to the right of 
Domartin, the center in front of the Bois Bon- 
seil, and the third through the Bois des Cerfs 
into the Bois de Noire Terre. The first Bat- 
talion of the 342nd was in support of the left, 
laving down destructive fire on the point of at- 



REGIAIENTAL HISTORY 43 

tack and then shifting forward to neutralize 
machine guns beyond the Hindenburg line. 
The 2nd Battalion supporting the center, 
opened at once on machine gun emplacements 
beyond the line of wire, and the third Battalion 
supported the right company in the same man- 
ner. Although plans for advance in case of 
withdrawal were laid, all three of these parties 
found the line still strongly held, and were 
halted by heavy hostile fire. This reconnais- 
sance lasted from 5 A.M. until nearly noon, 
when 29 prisoners had been reported. Rounds 
fired by this regiment, 2937. 

A raid on the Bois des Cerfs, planned for the 
dawn of November 5th was never executed, 
instead, a patrol attacked Marimbois Farm un- 
assisted by artillery fire, and took 26 prisoners. 
From that time on, the enemy abandoned the 
Farm as an outpost, except for occasional 
patrol work. The raid planned for the 5th was 
accomplished on the 7th. At 5 :30 hours a 
party of 2G0 combed through the Bois des 
Cerfs, capturing 14 prisoners. Demolition and 
neutralizing fire was delivered by the 342nd 
on the wire and works of the salients along the 
hostile line. 

Two similar raids were made on the morn- 
ing of the 9th, to determine the strength of the 
enemy near the Bois de Cerfs and in the Bois 
Bonseil. Four officers and 40 men penetrated 
the line near the Bois des Cerfs, but found the 



44 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

enemy present in force and suffered some loss 
in withdrawal. The party of 100 that entered 
the Bois Bonseil took two prisoners. Fire by 
two of our batteries was directed on enemy 
works. 

At about this time orders were issued by the 
Army and Corps contemplating a general at- 
tack for "H" hour on "D" day. The Fourth 
Corps of the Second Army was to attack with 
the 28th Division on the left and the 7th on 
the right. Preceding the general attack a 
strong reconnaissance of the hostile line was 
ordered. This reconnaissance was assigned to 
the 112th Infantry for the early hours of No- 
vember 10th. At 5 :30 that morning a bat- 
talion advanced with the mission of penetrat- 
ing the salient near Dommartin, capturing 
prisoners and determining the strength of the 
enemy. Opening fire at the H hour the .342nd 
fired for two hours on targets in the vicinity 
of Dommartin and Dampvitoux, with irregular 
volleys of harassing fire. This reconnaissance 
patrol met with very heavy hostile fire and was 
forced to withdraw from the attack. Due to 
method of fire only about 900 rounds were ex- 
pended by the 155's. 

The main attack was planned for the after- 
noon of the 10th. The 55th Infantry Brigade 
(or a provisional brigade so designated) was 
to attack on the salient between Lachaussee 
and the Bois Bonseil, and the 1st and 2nd Bat- 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 45 




THE RESULTS OF FIRE FOR EFFECT 




THE MAIN STREET 



TWO VIEWS OF DAMPITOUX 



46 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

talions had orders to neutralize machine guns 
threatening the advance. The 3rd Battalion 
had a similar mission in support of the 56th 
Brigade, attacking near Dommartin on the 
right. Fire was opened at about 2:30 P.M. 
and lasted for an hour durin"- which ICCO 
rounds were fired. The attack on the left suc- 
ceeded in gaining the enemy line, but due to 
enfilading fire, the position was consolidated 
about 300 meters outside the wire. The right 
attack was never launched, due to heavy artil- 
lery fire. The detailed preparations for this 
attack were hurried and the exact progress of 
events remains in doubt. 

In the meantime, anticipating a move for- 
ward, the echelons of the 2nd and 3rd Battal- 
ions were moved up and the night of the 10th 
was spent near the battery positions. During 
the evening of the same day an order received 
made provision for the outcome of the previ- 
ous operations by providing for three phases 
in an attack to be begun at 5 :45 on the morn- 
ing of the 11th. Generally speaking, the first 
phase involved the occupation of the Hinden- 
burg line, and the second and third an advance 
forward in the direction of Hageville. It was 
for the latter purpose that the echelons of the 
2nd and 3rd battalions had been moved up. 

The attack at 5 :45 was apparently launched 
and met with success in the initial stages. 
From all that could be learned the advanced 



R E G I AI E N T A L HISTORY 47 

units later met with severe tire and were forced 
to retire. Perhaps one reason why the facts 
were obscured for us was that after the firins: 
for the initial phase had been accomplishcJ, 
all attention was given to the news of the 
armistice. The radio detail of the Third Bat- 
talion had the distinction of picking up the 
first news of the signing of the terms, and 
passed the news on to higher units. The only 
question that remained was just how soon the 
operations could be terminated. At 8:45 fire 
was suddenly called for on the boche com- 
munications, apparently to aid in a with- 
drawal, and shortly after the completion of 
this fire, orders were received concerning the 
last minute of fire. The plan was to cease fire 
at 10:55, to open ag-ain suddenly at 10:59 and 
fire at maximum rate of fire until ten seconds 
before 11 o'clock. Watches were carefully 
synchronized and the plan was duly executed. 
During the night of November lOth-llth the 
regiment fired a total of 2472 rounds. Of this 
amount some were expended in desultory fire 
before 10:55, following a permission to fire on 
selected targets in back areas. xA.fter firing 
every day at targets unknown to them, the 
gunners were allowed to pick targets of their 
own, and the last rounds of the regiment were 
in most cases fired by the Chiefs of Section. 

Following the armistice on the 11th, and the 
constant firing that preceded the cessation of 
hostilities, the natural inclination of everv one 



48 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

was to take a few hours rest. However, curi- 
osity brought many soldiers to the lines to see 
their opponents. That evening there was a 
general celebration signalized by thousands of 
rockets and flares. Although the lines were 
lightly held during the following days for the 
reception of prisoners, to keep troops within 
bounds, and to receive maps and information 
in accordance with the terms of the armistice, 
nevertheless only a small part of the men was 
needed for this duty and many troops started 
training in the rear areas at once. The artil- 
lery remained for a week or so in the dugouts 
of the positions and then gradually moved to 
the slightly more comfortable quarters af- 
forded by the ruined towns. On November 
15th the firing batteries of the first battalion 
moved into old German barracks in Hatton- 
ville; on November 27th both cannoneers and 
echelon of "A" battery moved into VigneuUes 
while "B" battery moved back to the echelon 
at Creue. On November 23rd Capt. A. J. Wat- 
son took command of this battalion vice Major 
Cottrell transferred. 

The Second Battalion moved batteries, 
echelon and headquarters into the town of 
Beney on the 17th, while the Third Battalion 
made the best of quarters in Bouillonville. 

It may be easily seen from the foregoing 
that the activities of the regiment at the front 
did not include much of the sensational, unless 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 49 

indeed we consider it sensational that any 
regiment should perform satisfactorily after so 
short an acquaintance with its guns and 
materiel, and with practically no training at 
all in operating as a fighting unit. But even 
in this short period, most of the men had beert 
under fire, and had stood the test. The novel 
difficulties of supply, liaison, and night opera- 
tion were met and overcome with excellent 
results. The discipline at the front hardly 
needs comment. The discomforts of sleeping 
on the ground or in damp "rabbit holes" and 
the hardships involved, seemed to be taken for 
granted. There were no breaches of discipline, 
no "A. W. O. L.'s", no grumbling. There was 
no opportunity for war-like display, no oc- 
casion for sentiment, no disposition toward 
enthusiasm. It was a matter of hard work: 
cheerfully done. 



R E G I AI E X T A L HISTORY 51 

V. 

WITH THE ARMY OF OCCUPATION 

THE announcement that the 89th Divi- 
sion was part of the Army of Occupa- 
tion was shortly followed by orders to 
take the road to join our Division. Extra horses 
had been drawn and on the morning of Novem- 
l)er 29th the regiment took the road for Ger- 
many. The first day's march took us parallel 
to the Hindenburg line as far as Woel (3rd 
Bn.) and thence through St. Hilaire, Butgne- 
ville, to Harville (2nd Bn.), Moullotte ("B") 
and Allamont ("A") where stables and shelter 
were found in the ruined houses. We found 
pioneers and engineers still engaged in blow^- 
ing up the mines in the vicinity. On the next 
day's march it was something of a relief to 
leave the ruins of the war zone. Brainville, 
Puxe, Jeandelize, Conflans and Abbeville, 
were passed and Fleville (3rd Bn.) and Ozer- 
ailles (2nd Bn.) provided billets. Due to a 
circuitous route necessitated by a bad road, 
the only battalion to make its objective was 
the 1st, which marched through Gondrecourt 
to Bouligny. 

On December 1st, with fair weather and 
good roads a trip to Xivray-Circourt (Hq., 2nd 
and 3rd Bn.) and to Mercy-le-bas for the first 



52 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

battalion was an easy march and there was 
time to spare to clean up equipment and ma- 
teriel. The next day, starting as usual about 
eight o'clock, a hilly and picturesque road took 
us through Joppecourt, Mortfontaine to Vil- 
lers-le-Montagne. Although we found the 
streets of these towns decorated, the enthusi- 
asm of the people appeared to be exhausted, 
partly by previous celebrations and partly by a 
forlorn depression over their ruined fortunes, 
for the Germans had stripped the country of all 
its live-stock, food and other valuables. That 
night the First Battalion went to Harcourt, 
just beyond Villers-le-Montagne. The route 
of march on December 3rd took the regiment 
through the industrial towns of Longwy and 
Mt. St. Martin. Crossing the Belgian border 
at Aubange, we continued to Messancy, where 
we were billetted for the night. Here the people 
appeared far different from those in northern 
France, having enough food and still retaining 
most of their livestock. Though the men were 
crowded and the horses were on the picket 
lines, the night was a hospitable one. The next 
day we left Belgium near Arlon and entered 
wooded country in Luxemburg. Some long 
hills and rainy weather made the trip to Saeul 
and Brouch (1st Bn.) a hard day's work. 
Although German became the language of the 
inhabitants from now on, it was evident that 
the Luxemburgers were well disposed toward 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 



53 




OUR OLD FRIEND, THE ARMY MULE 




A HALT FOR THE TEN MINUTE REST 



ON THE MARCH 



54 



REGIMENTAL HISTORV 



US. A call to arms at Saeul that night caused a 
stir, and when it was learned that the call was 
merely for practice, some unfavorable com- 
ments were heard from travel-worn members. 

The following" day's "hike" was also pic- 
turesque, and though hilly, the excellent roac's 
continued through Brouch, Buschdorf, Boe- 
vange, Bissen and Colmar. In the latter place 
we passed the castle of the Duchess, who 
shortly afterward was deposed in favor of a 
Republic. The Regiment was billeted that 
night partly in Schieren and partly in Ettel- 
bruck. where excellent treatment was given us. 




THE INDISPENSABLE TRAVELLING KITCHEN 



The eighth day out brought us through the 
most interesting country of the trip and into 
the most ancient of the towns. We passed 



R E G I Jvl E N T A L HISTORY 55 

through the City of Diekirch and thence 
through Tandel and Fouhren, over the hills 
and suddenly down into the valley of the Sauer 
River, where V^ianden was located. Here the 
regiment had a pleasant stay. In the evening a 
civilian band made the rounds of the towni 
followed by the greater part of the population, 
forming a torch-light procession. 

Leaving Vianden at eight o'clock on Decem- 
ber 7th, a quarter of an hour brought us across 
the German border. Obersgegen, Geichlingen 
and Sinspelt were the first towns passed and 
we arrived at Oberweis at 3 :30 in spite of the 
rain and stretch of bad road. The townspeople 
showed no hostility. As we found in all of the 
rural districts of the Rhineland. food was 





THE FIF.ING BATTERY 



56 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

plentiful. It appeared that the absence of the 
men had not prevented the cultivation of the 
land, due to the fact that the women were well 
accustomed to manual labor in the fields. 

Having been constantly on the road during 
the previous nine days and having covered 
about 190 kilometers, the tenth day was spent 
in Oberweis and nearby towns in resting, 
cleaning up and reshoeing. On the 9th the 
regiment left Oberweis at 8 o'clock and 
marched through Bitburg, which was the 
Third Army Headquarters, and through Er- 
dorf, to Badem (1st Bn.), Pickliessem (3rd 
Bn.) and Spangdahlem (Hq. and 2nd Bn.), in 
which towns the regiment was billetted for five 
days. The towns were dirty and inconvenient, 
and the orders for the subsequent move were 
fortunate for us. On the 15th we retraced our 
march to Bitburg and then took the Echternach 
road to Wolsfeld (2nd Bn. and Supply Co.), 
Alsdorf (3rd Bn.) and Niederweis (Hq.) and 
Irrel (1st Bn.). In these towns, the regiment 
remained, and celebrated the holiday season. 
No trouble was experienced with the inhabi- 
tants, and the Christmas and New Year cele- 
brations were none the less merry for being 
spent in hostile territory. 

The long march into Germany was accom- 
plished without any unfortunate incident. No 
material was abandoned and only four animals 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 



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THE VALLEY OF THE SAUER RIVEK 




THE POST ON THE BRIDGE AT ECHTERNACH 



GUARD DUTY ON THE LUXEMBURG BORDER 



58 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

Avere lost on the march. The organization and 
arrangements for the march included a moving 
supply base, deliveries of forage being made 
"by truck. Very little was requisitioned from 
the inhabitants. Billets were apportioned by 
daily advance billetting parties. One of the 
successful aspects of the march was the fact 
that the men w^ere under cover every night, and 
never pitched shelter camps in the open, which 
was fortunate in view of the consistently wet 
weather experienced. Even in the case of the 
animals, outdoor picket lines were the excep- 
tion. 

During January the regiment carried out a 
systematic training schedule. Changes in per- 
sonnel included the transfer of Lt.-Col. Joseph 
C. King, who had been with us since November, 
to detached service for several months. Occa- 
sional maneuvres were held, and novelty was 
introduced into the training by the receipt of 
motors for the long postponed motorization of 
the regiment. One of the principal duties of 
the regiment at this time was the maintenance 
of a guard along the Sauer River which was 
the border of. Luxemburg. Details from each 
battalion were stationed in Echternach and 
other towns along the border for two week 
periods, the chief duty being to regulate traf- 
fic, prevent smuggling, and preserve order. 

The winter months in these small agricul- 
tural towns were bv no means severe. Although 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 59 

the quarters and billets for the men were de- 
cidedly crowded, in some cases very danger- 
ously so, the regiment came through the sea- 
son without any serious epidemics. On the 
recommendation of the regimental surgeon the 
second battalion was moved out of very close 
quarters in Alsdorf and took over Holzthum, 
a picturesque little valley town some distance 
from the railroad line. Later in the winter, 
after much delay, mess halls were built in each 
town, and for the first time since training days 
the men could eat under cover. It is not to be 
concluded that the winter was by any means 
comfortable. The man with a bed was fortu- 
nate and the man who could keep clean was 
enterprising. The sanitary conditions in the 
towns was a constant source of anxiety. The 
German dooryard consisted invariably of a 
manure pit, which drained into the cobbled 
street ; it seemed to be a matter of pride to keep 
these pits well filled; and it was a fact that the 
household pump was generally located in the 
near vicinity. On the other hand, the towns 
were neat enough in appearance and the streets 
were swept daily with primitive hand brushes, 
and the interior of the houses, which were of 
the whitewashed stone variety, was generally 
immaculate. The industry of the peasants was 
as astonishing as their ignorance of the ele- 
ments of sanitation. 




GUN SECTION — EIGHT HORSES TO ONE GUN 




THREE CAISSONS TO ONE TRACTOR 



THE OLD WAY AND THE NEW 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 61 

In general the inhabitants gave very little 
trouble. Grumbling was of course inevitable, 
for it was necessary to stable our horses in the 
sheds used as threshing floors, and to park our 
materiel in their carefully cultivated fields. 
And naturally the men did not like to be 
turned out of their beds, especially some of the 
"prominent citizens". But disciplinary meas- 
ures were rarely necessary. Householders 
were occasionally fined for non-compliance 
with sanitary regulations. Some of the back- 
country peasants were severely fined for selling 
home-made "Schnapps" and before the arrival 
of Spring this latter form of law-breaking was 
responsible for an incident in which two Ger- 
mans were accidentally shot. Otherwise, the 
occupation of our area was peaceable. For in- 
stance, in the collection of all w^eapons and 
war material, there was the readiest co-opera- 
tion on the part of the Germans, and diligent 
search by patrols in the outlying towns showed 
no effort at all by the inhabitants to retain 
fire-arms. It appeared that the habits of the 
people in obeying the orders of the small offi- 
cials of the government w^as the secret of their 
conduct. They were law-abiding to the point 
of servility. 

During this period, the routine work con- 
sisted largel}^ of keeping the regiment in con- 
dition. Weekly "hikes" were taken, and exer- 
cises called "maneuvres" were occasionally 



62 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

ordered for the benefit of the telephone and 
laison details, and for practice in operations. 
We were also visited by the General of the 
Brig^ade in his rounds of inspection, which 
meant a period of busy preparation, and as a 
final event in the career of the regiment as 
horse artillery, there was a horse show in Bit- 
burg- in which a number of our teams qualified 
for the Brigade and Division horse shows. Our 
horses had stood the march from France very 
well and we had since received new horses and 
mules, which, though unwelcome because of 
the labor involved in their care, gave us a fairly 
presentable appearance. The troubles of the 
veterinaries were oppressive however, for there 
was a great deal of mange among the horses 
and it became necessary to "dip" all of the 
animals several times in the huge vat at Bit- 
burg, a very arduous and disagreeable task. 
At times too, the stables were so overcrowded 
that the horses had to be kept on picket lines 
in the streets or in the muddy fields, and this 
was productive of kicking with its attendant 
ills. Another source of difficulty was the very 
serious shortage of hay throughout the A. E. F. 

Our troubles in this direction were, however, 
finally relieved by the long-delayed arrival of 
tractors and motor vehicles toward the middle 
of March. The men and officers undertook the 
transformation with zest and it was only a 
week or so before the regiment was on the 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 6J 




TRAIL EIGHT 




RECEIVING FIRING DATA 



FIRING PRACTICE ON THE RANGE IN GERMANY 



64 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

road with its full equipment. That a body of 
men only superficially and partially trained to 
handle this equipment was so successful and 
rapid in learning the operation and mainten- 
ance of the tremendous quantity of machinery 
was not at the time considered astonishing, but 
to those who were familiar with the nature of 
the problem it will remain a source of satisfac- 
tion, if not of wonder. A few weeks after 
receiving the motors the regiment was re- 
viewed by the Division and by the Corps com- 
manders, and drew past the reviewing stand 
in form worthy of a veteran motor corps. 

During the winter the reconnaissance 
officers had been busy laying out a target 
range not far from Oberweis and shortly after 
motorization each battery was given some 
brief firing practice. It was necessary to clear 
several farms in the neighborhood of their 
inhabitants, and to stop traffic over several 
roads. The brief practice was somewhat im- 
peded by the use of old powder charges, but 
was otherwise successful. 

Of course during this period the work was 
not strenuous, and drills were frequently im- 
possible on account of the weather. Schools 
were out of the question because of the lack of 
quarters, although very pretentious schemes 
were devised for divisional schools and exe- 
cuted in part in other towns. Because of these 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 65 

conditions, the problem of recreation became 
acute. Every village had its canteen and in 
several of the battalions these formed the nu- 
cleus for successful recreation rooms. Travel- 
ling troupes furnished occasional evening en- 
tertainment, the best of these being ''show^s" 
organized by the men of the Division. Some of 
the "Y" and Knights of Columbus entertain- 
ers ventured as far as our towns during the 
season, but naturally these companies v^ere re- 
served for the larger audiences and better facil- 
ities afforded by the large tov^ns and leave 
centers. 

Most of the real recreation consisted in get- 
ting away from our area on leave. There were 
trips to Coblenz, to Trier, and into France to 
the leave areas and Paris. The allowance was 
very generous, and if every man in the regi- 
ment did not have one or more leaves it was 
not for lack of opportunity. Almost everyone 
took all the leave he could get, for although the 
travelling facilities were anything but com- 
fortable, and although the quarters provided at 
the leave centers were rarely much better than 
our own, nevertheless, the change from tne 
monotony of the rural villages was very grate- 
ful. And so it happened that large groups of 
men and officers took trips up the Rhine and 
through France, and spent week-ends in Trier 
and Coblenz and longer leaves in Nice and 
Paris. Some few got as far as England and 
Italy. 



(6 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 




EVERYONE WORKED IN GERMANT 
Scene in Wolsfeld 

The weather was not favorable to athletics. 
But in spite of this the regiment maintained its 
reputation. The division football team which 
won the championship of the entire American 
Expeditionary Forces, included three members 
from the 342nd, who were the individual star- 
of the team. The regiment also won the Divi- 
sion soccer footl)all championship. And at the 
time we received orders to entrain we were 
making ready to defend our title to the cup 
which had been presented to the Regiment at 
Borceaux as A. E. F. baseball champions. 




'lies. Capt. Weiss, \ 
Vliitall. Lt. Tlialtix 



'-,eii-is, Lt. .linirj-. 



GROUP OF OFFICERS AT CAMP UPTON 



Slamlim,. Jeff to vi„hf lA Dowjlas Lt II\UUhr<u,<1 ra„t. Vhl. Capt. Flortr. 'A. Hcrrcs. Capt. Gcntr,>, lA. BIclock, dipt. Androp. Ll . Povrll. JA . McCalcb. JA. .Ir„es. Capt. Weiss. Capt. Q-Fallo,,. Capl. .I„„nrp. lA.-Col. .lol,„so„. lA.-Col. Kinf,. Ocncra] 
Xvfjnit. Col. llnin-.rll. Major llmulUtu. Major lln/.voii Capt. Lr]n,unn<. Capt. Q-Harn. lA. .folnison, Lt. Mair. Capt. Everett. Lt. Knapp. Lt. ^Vliitall. Lt. Tlialma,,. Lt. VIVi.s.scH («>.». Capt. .\eale. Capt. Clu,l,h. 

KneeVou,. left to rUjht : Capt. Creivs. Lt. Carry. JA. Pears. Lt. Amernmn. L< . Uastwus. lA. Fast. Lt. l^rhofleld. Lt. Geo. Clark. Lt. ./. .1. Clark. Capt. Paine. Lt. Uvis. Lt. Miller. lA. Con.lie. Lt. Fo.r. Lt. Fer„nso„. L, . Main,. Lt. l;u,„er. Lt . Comslo.-k. 

Lt. Crane. Lt . Lintlsi-ii. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 67 

VI. 

EMBARKATION ORDERS 

APRIL brought some real developments. 
Rumors of the departure of other divi- 
sions were followed by their actual de- 
parture. The publication of the order in which 
the Divisions were to leave gave some idea 
that we were not entirely out of the running. 
And finally the rumor was confirmed that we 
were to leave sometime in May. With the 
arrival of this news and the advent of more 
cheerful weather, the aspect of affairs became 
very perceptibly dift"erent. 

The final events of our occupation began 
with an inspection by the Corps Commander, 
which marked the completion of our prelimin- 
ary training with motor traction. The entire 
regiment was motorized at this time, tractors 
being used for the guns and caissons, trucks 
for the supply trains and motorcycles and cars 
for transportation of the personnel. This new 
equipment made an excellent appearance, 
stretching for more than a mile down the road, 
and we were complimented upon the result. 
No one regretted the change except that it 
came so late. 

Shortly after this review Colonel Biscoe was 
transferred to duty in France, leaving the 



68 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

Regiment on the 13th of April, and shortly 
thereafter Lieut.-Col. King took command, 
and remained so in command until Colonel 
Otto L. Brunzell joined his command at Brest 
for the voyage to New York. The following 
final order issued by Colonel Biscoe upon his 
departure from the regiment will serve as a 
brief review of the period in which he was in 
command : 

Headquarters 342nd Field Artillery 

American Expeditionary Forces 

Niederweis, Germany 

April 12th, 1919. 

General Order 
Number ... 3 

Colonel Earl Biscoe hereby relinquishes 
command of the 342nd Field Artillery. He 
wishes to express to the officers and men of 
the command his deep appreciation of their 
devotion to duty and constant loyalty to the 
regiment. 

At the time he assumed command, on Sep- 
tember 3rd, 1918, the regiment had acquired 
an enviable reputation through its athletic 
prowess and other activities, for unfailing re- 
liability and high morale. That this reputa- 
tion is deserved, was amply demonstrated by 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 69 

the excellent record of the regimenr in train- 
ing, by its fighting efficiency at the front, and 
by the discipline sustained since entering the 
Army of Occupation. Throughout the period 
of hostilities the Regiment accomplished well, 
every mission assigned to it; the march into 
Germany complied with the highest standards 
of march discipline; and during the trying 
period in hostile territory the command has 
met every test with credit to itself and to the 
Division, overcoming, with remarkable adapti- 
bility, the problems incident to motorization. 
After eight months of continuous service in the 
field with this organization. Colonel Biscoe 
takes his departure with the utmost regret. 

This order will be read to all officers and 
men of the command at the next formation. 

EARL BISCOE, 
Colonel, Field Artillery 



The final and most striking event of the oc- 
cupation took place on April 23rd when the 
entire Division assembled at Trier for a review 
by General Pershing. Apparently no one had 
ever heard of a motorized regiment formation 
for review, so the firing batteries were simply 
drawn up on the aviation field out of the line 
of march, and the icombat train and other 
equipment was drawn up on the road, to await 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 71 

the tour of inspection. The trip to Trier was 
so long that the units of the regiment were 
billeted in the vicinity the previous night, and 
proceeded to their posts on the day of the re- 
view. One advantage of this disposition of 
the regiment was that it gave a large part of 
the personnel an opportunity to see what they 
had never witnessed before — an entire division 
in mass formation with all its ecjuipment and 
martial regalia. It was a splendid and stir- 
ring sight, to see battalion after battalion of 
infantry with bayonets set swing past, the line 
stretching- in either direction as far as the eye 
could reach. The huge aviation field barely 
held the men on foot, and the trains and the 
horse artillery spread over the surrounding 
fields. After the review and the award of 
decorations and medals, the men assembled 
from every side in the great Zeppelin shed on 
the field and listened to addresses from Gen- 
eral Pershing, General Summerall and Secre- 
tary Baker, receiving commendation from their 
military chiefs and thanks from Secretary 
Baker on behalf of the folks at home. 

This occasion assumed added importance in 
the eyes of all concerned on account of the al- 
most simultaneous announcement of entrain- 
ing orders. It was finally announced defi- 
nitely that we were to entrain at Erdorf be- 
ginning May 11th. And if the task of prepara- 
tion and of turning in all of our motor equip- 



72 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

ment was difficult, it was certainly not a 
source of complaint. The guns were hauled all 
the way to the Rhine and the balance of the 
equipment was parked at a central point on 
the railroad. In the meanwhile typewriters 
were tapping busily far into the night, new 
clothing was being issued and other prepara- 
tions were completed. 

The trip from Erdorf was made this time in 
the larger American box cars and travel was 
somewhat more comfortable, if the word is 
applicable at all, than the usual trip over 
French railroads. Our destination was Brest, 
and to the satisfaction of everyone there was 
no intermediate stop. Our experiences at 
Brest were even more satisfactory. Whatever 
that camp may have been in the height of its 
sensational days, it was a model of efficiency 
at the time of our homeward trip. The speed 
with which men were put through the routine 
of examination, delousing, and outfitting was 
astonishing. The manner in which the clerical 
staff supervised, checked and approved the 
mass of papers and documents (which ap- 
peared to be indispensable to any large move- 
ment of American troops) was sufficiently 
expeditious to satisfy the most impatient man 
in the camp. Forty-eight hours after arrival 
of the last unit we were actually embarking at 
the port. The entire regiment sailed on one of 
the ships temporarily taken over from the 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 75 

Germans for the express purpose of troop 
transport — the former North German Lloyd 
steamship, "Prinz Friederich Wilhehii 11". 
The quarters were much better than those 
coming over and the trip, except for consider- 
ably more seasickness, was enjoyed by every- 
one. Entertainment was provided and the 
food was much better, naturally, then was 
afforded by the galley of the "Justicia". 

The arrival in New York on May 27th, was 
without event. We were sent immediately to 
Camp Upton for distribution to the various 
camps for demobilization. This process con- 
sumed considerably more time than we 
thought necessary and. judging by the amount 
of fatigue and police that was assigned, the 
stay was of more benefit to the Camp than to 
the Regiment. Finally, however, the rosters 
were made up and detachments sent out to the 
demobilization camps all over the states. Of 
the total number nearly three-fourths returned 
to Camp Funston, a fact that indicates the 
comparative stability of the personnel of the 
regiment throughout its career. June 6th was 
the date of this final distribution, and within 
a week the regiment was discharged and on the 
final journey to civilian life and the pursuits 
of peace. 



R E G T AI E N T A L HISTORY 



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R E G I :\I E X T A L HISTORY' 79 

APPENDIX B 

The following excerpts from the "Artillery 
Plan of Defense" of the sector occupied by the 
Regiment, will serve to indicate the larger 
functions of the artillery with some details of 
execution. It will be noted that the "annexes" 
are omitted; these annexes consisted for the 
most part of large diagrams or tracing maps, 
showing- areas and objectives for fire, the line 
of barrage, and the like. Space prohibits their 
reproduction here. 

SECRET 

TO BE IN THE PERSONAL POSSESSION OF 
BATTALION COMMANDERS AT ALL TIMES. 

ARTILLERY PLAN 

OF 

DEFENSE 

LIMEY-FLI REV-PANNES SECTOR 

164th F. A. BRIGADE 

o42nd FIELD ARTILLERY 



Chapter III-b-2 

BARRAGE BY THIS REGIMENT FIRED ONLY ON 
REGIMENTAL ORDER 

„ , ,._ (5 min. at 2 rounds per piece per minute. 

For the lo5mm < ., . ^ - , . . ^ 

|D mm. at 1 round per piece per mmute. 

The zones of the normal barrage arc shown graphicalh' in 

Annex I. 



80 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

"III 

CONTINGENT BARRAGES 

Three cases of attack are foreseen for which barrages will 
be prepared. 

Case I presumes a frontal attack which has penetrated the 
outpost line to the line of resistance. The barrage, will be laid 
down as shown in Annex I-a. 

Case II presumes a flank attack from the left. The barrage 
lines are indicated in Annex I-b. 

Case III presumes a flank attack from the right. The 
barrage lines, are indicated in Annex I-c. 

The cadence will be the same as that of the normal bar- 
rage when first called for. For a repetition the cadence will 
be: 

For the ISSmm. 1 rd., per piece per minute for 10 minutes. 

The normal cadence will be designated Cadence No. 1, the 
other, Cadence No. 2. Cadence No. 2 presumes fire over a 
longer period with a series of repetitions. It is understood 
that if a continual discharge of rockets shows the attack to 
be very severe, Cadence No. 1 will be used exclusively. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 81 

IV 
COOPERATION WITH NEIGHBORING DIVISIONS 

1. Assistance to the divisions on the left and right of this 
sector is indicated in Annex Il-a. When assistance is given 
the barrage lines and concentrations w^ill be shifted as indi- 
cated in this Annex. 

2. The assistance to the Division on the left (39th Divi- 
sional Artillery, French) is designated "Barrage Chauffour." 
It will be delivered on order from these Headquarters, or 
when received directly by the proper Battalion Commanders 
from the C. O. Divisional Artillery on the left. One Battery 
of the 2nd Battalion, 342nd F. A. will deliver a concentration 
fire with two guns on cross roads near 7804, and two guns 
on the cross roads near 7305. For the ISS's the rate will be 
two rounds per piece per minute. "Barrage Chaufifour" will 
be repeated once without order if conditions on the left indi- 
cate to the Battalion Commander the necessity for this repeti- 
tion. After one repetition fire will be continued only upon 
orders from these Headquarters, or upon request from the 
French Division. 

3. The assistance to the Division on the right (90th Divi- 
sion, 5th F. A. Brigade) is designated "Barrage A". 

It will be delivered on order from these Headquarters or 
when called for directly by the C. G. Divisional Artillery on 
the right. The 3rd Battalion, 342nd F. A. will deliver a con- 
centration fire on Buret Ferme, with one battery. The rates. 
of fire will be as indicated in the preceding paragraphs. 

4. Assistance rendered to this Division by the Divisions. 
on the left and right is indicated in Annex Il-b. 



82 R E G I M E N T A L H I S T O R Y 

Chapter IlI-b-2 

V 

COUNTER OFFENSIVE PREPARATION 

Counter offensive preparation in front of the line of out- 
posts (Normal) will be called for (1) at the command of the 
Divisional Artillery Commander or (2) on the responsibility 
of the Regimental or Battalion Commanders when communi- 
cations are severed. Counter offensive preparation in front 
of the line of resistence will be given (1) at the command of 
the divisional Artillery Commander or (2) at the request of 
the Infantry when transmitted by telephone from the Com- 
mander designated in the Divisional plan of defense. 

The objectives of the counter offensive preparation are 
shown graphically in Annex III. Counter offensive prepara- 
tion will be first on these targets, but it is understood that as 
cOon as the situation develops the fire will be made to con- 
verge so as to defend the points most seriously menaced as 
indicated by the continual discharge of rockets. If counter 
offensive preparation is requested a second time it will be 
repeated by beginning on the objectives used the first ti r.e. 
unless during the first period certain objectives have shown 
themselves as being of more importance than others. 

Counter offensive preparation will consist of a 15 minute 
period of fire, at the rate of 1 round per piece per minute 
for the 155's. The 155 howitzers will at all times be laid on 
their normal counter offensive preparation targets, unless they 
are actuallv firing. 



R E G I AI E X T A L HISTORY 8.5 

VI 

HARASSING FIRE 

Harassing fire will be executed according to a schedule 
established daily b}' the Regimental Commander based on 
information from these Headquarters. The degree of haras- 
sing is limited by the daily expenditure of ammunition fixed 
by Army Corps Order. For the present. 

U) rounds per gun per day for 115mm howitzers 

constitute the allowance tor Divisional Artillerj- for haras- 
snig, interdiction and reprisal fires. 

The objectives for harassing fire will be designated eacn 
day by the Regimental Commanders after a careful studv of 
the aerial photographs covering their sector, and according 
to the daily intelligence reports. This harassing fire will be 
preferably executed during the night or at a suitable time 
fixed by the Regimental Commanders; as for instance when 
traffic is heavier or at the hours used for bringing supplies 
to the hostile battery positions or the hostile infantry. 

The method of fire will be a succession at irregular inter- 
vals of short violent volleys. The employment of several 
euns firing simultaneouslv is advisable. 



84 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

Chapter III-b-2' 

VII 

INTERDICTION FIRE 

Fire for interdiction will be executed round by round with 
75's or 155's on points where passage of troops or traffic is 
obligatory, as bridges, roads forks, villages and railroad 
tracks. The most important qualities of interdiction fire are 
regularity and carefully corrected trajectories to insure ac- 
curacy. The principal interdiction fires will involve well 
planned concentration on sensitive points. Experience has 
shown when a certain number of rounds are to fired in a 
given length of time by a battery, especially during the nighty 
the gun crews fire their rounds in a short time and then rest 
for the remainder of the alloted period. Schedules giving the 
actual minute of fire should be prepared by the battery Com- 
manders. 



REGIAIENTAL HISTORY 



85 



VIII 



REPRISAL FIRE 

Since it is impossible to stop completely hostile artillery iire 
by counter battery work, schedules of reprisal fire are pre- 
pared; the purpose of which is to deliver on a corresponding 
point in the enemy territory a stronger and more effective 
fire than that delivered by them on our territory. Reprisals 
must be immediate, and will be fired on authority from these 
Headquarters. Notification of bombardment at any point 
within the lines should be sent to these Headquarters at once 
in order to effect a suitable reprisal. 



Hostile Target 



Category A 
Reprisal Target 



Unit Firing 



St. Benoit Hageville 

LaMarche LaChaussee 

Pannes LaChaussee 

Xammes St. Julien 

Bouillonville Chamble}' 

Euvezin Xonville 

Essey Sponville 

Thiaucourt Chambley 

The method of reprisal fire for the 89th Divisional Artillery 
will be two rounds per piece per battalion fired with the 
maximum rapidity of the material. If the bombardment is 
not stopped by the reprisal fire, the reprisal will be continued 
by firing double the number of rounds, fired by the enemy, 
using the hostile cadence. 



2nd Bn. 342nd F.A. 

2nd Bn. 342nd F.A. 

2nd Bn. 342nd F.A. 

3rd Bn. 342nd F.A. 

3rd Bn. 342nd F.A. 

2nd Bn. 342nd F.A. 

2nd Bn. 342nd F.A. 

2nd Bn. 342nd F.A. 



86 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

CHAPTER III-b-2. 

IX 

CO-OPERATION WITH AVIATION. 

1. Liaison between the artillery and aviation until further 
orders will cover five cases: 

Scheduled Adjustments. 
Rapid Adjustments. 
Fugitive targets. 
Precision Fire. 
Zone Fire. 

Scheduled Adjustments. 

2. The liaison ofiicer of the Aero Squadron attached to 
the 89th Division will arrange regular schedules of adjust- 
ment with Regimental or Battalion Commanders. Each 
morning the squadron will notify the headquarters of the 
89th Divisional Artillery if the adjustment scheduled cannot 
take place, due to bad visibility or meteorological conditions, 
and Vv^ill suggest a possible hour later in the day. Radio 
officers and battery commanders will take every precaution to 
establish communication with the plane when it is up, even 
though it is impossible to hre. 

The system of communication will be as follows: 

The plane will leave the aerolrome giving the regimental, 
or the battalion calls. For e.xample, he will send K99. K99. 
BTO, 4731, REG. IDE K99 is the regimental or battalion call; 
BTO, the target to be fired on (in this case a battery); 4731, 
the co-ordinates of the target; REG, registration; IDI, plane 
available. L'pon hearing its call, the regiment or battalion 
will display its panel, upon hearing the message, it will dis- 
play the panel of the battery with which it desires to make 
the registration. The plane calls the battery in a similar 
manner, asking for fire on the target where co-ordinates are 



R E G I :M E X T A L HISTORY 87 

given. If the battery has a target upon which it desires to 
fire, it can give the co-ordinates by regular method. Any 
Latteries desiring adjustments will ma.. e the fact known to 
the Liaison Officer from the Aeroplane Squadron and the ad- 
justment will b.^ carried out, visibility permitting. It is 
understood that the plane wi.l at all times look for commands 
by panel from the brigade, the regiment or the battalion. 

Rapid Adjustments. 

3. For rap'd adjustments, the squadron will be notified by 
wireless, telephone or AIDS that a rapid adjustment is 
wanted, the co-ordinates of the target being given. If visi- 
bility permits, the plane will be over the panels sending the 
battery call at the hour reciuested. As soon as the re- 
ceiving set is properly tuned, the "Understood" panel will 
be displayed. The observer will ask, "Is the batter}- ready?" 
The "Battery ready" panel will be displayed at the battery, 
and the observer will signal "Fire." On firing, the "Battery 
has fired" panel will be displayed. Three salvos, with an in- 
terval of two seconds between rounds and an interval of fif- 
teen seconds between salvos is required. 

The observer will report the mean point of impact for 
twelve rounds ..nd in case of an irregular sheaf wil report 
the gun out of adjustment and the amount. An interval of 
five seconds between salvos will be used for 75's. With 75's 
three fires of twelve rounds each should adjust the firing for 
the target or should give the correction which will place the 
fire on the target. If these are not satisfactory this method 
will be continued until the battery or observer signal^: "Con- 
inuous fire for effect," during which time the observer will 
make reports on the result of fire. 



88 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 



Fugitive Targets 

4. The second Battalion of the 341st F. A. (75's) and the 
second Battalion of the 342nd F. A. (155's) are assigned to 
fugitive target work. They will at all times be ready to fire 
at the request of the Artillery Surveillance Plane. The fire 
will be controlled as described in the foregoing. Measures 
will be taken by fugitive target battalions to increase their 
fields of fire, both laterally and in range, to the maximum. 
The use of D shells will be developed in the 75's for distant 
missions. Battery Commanders in fugitive target battalions 
are authorized to use the necessary ammunition for adjust- 
ments and fire for effect in collaboration with airplanes. 



Precision Fire 

5. For precision fire paragraphs 56 to 68 inclusive, aerial 
observation pamphlet May 1918, #80, revised, with omission 
of pp. 65, will be used. 

Zone Fire 

6. The supervision of Zone Fire by the airplane observer 
will be made in a general waj'. The different zones on 
which the artillery is firing will be reported to him by co- 
ordinates, and if any shots fall outside of these zones, he 
will inform the proper P. C. with reference to east, west, 
north or south of the central part of the zone. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 89 



General Remarks 

7. In each of the preceding cases the plane will drop 
weighted messages at the panels, reporting the result of the 
fire. The Battery will report this result at once to these 
Headquarters. 

Panel details of the battalions will include at least 3 men 
for the handling of the panels. The amount of gasoline the 
planes can carry and the distance it comes seriously limits 
the time it can be in the air, hence the handling of the panels 
must be expeditious. 

For the same reason ample provision must be made for per- 
fect telephone liaison between radio station panels, battery 
commander and battery. Even in the face of the shortage 
of telephone equipment, temporary arrangements must be 
made to cover these contingencies. 



90 R E G I A[ E N T A L HISTORY 

CHAPTER III 
XI 

Artillery Movement in Case of Advance or Withdrawal 

At the beginning of any action the echelons will be brought 
to covered positions in the vicinity of the batteries. These 
positions must be reconnoitered in advance, and if necessary 
prepared, and the approaches must be such that the positions 
can be occupied without hostile observation. 

In any advance or retrograde movements of guns, the prin- 
cipals of movement by echelon will be observed, in each Regi- 
ment. Commanding Officers will give this matter immedi- 
ate study with a view to providing for the orderly and timelj- 
movements of either Batteries or battalions under the prott-ct- 
ing fire of the guns remaining in position. Routes o',-cr ^■■hich 
units must move in changing positions will be carefully 
studied and the positions reconnoitered, and if necessary, pre- 
pareu. 

.-\11 roads are available for artillery' movements, but in order 
to reduce to a minimum congestion of traffic, reconnaissance 
will be made with a view to executing the necessary move- 
ments as far as possible off the main roads. 

The Axial road for the west sector is the road St. Benoit- 
Beney-Pannes-Essey-Maizerias - St. Boussant - Seicheprey- 
Beaumont-Mandres-Hamonville-Ausanville. Troops in posi- 
tion west of a X-S line, through Beney, will '^onrine them- 
selves to this road and roads west thereof. 



ff B (g) ITM^ ft N T^k^I T K 1 ^^li (g g # ^'^ 



SERVICE l&^ SUPPLY 

Upon requisitioi^^Di^i^^^wxi^rj^^ij^nitions officer the 
army furnishes ammunition to the army corps park, from 
which the divisional dump is supplied. 

-%§nl%f'(f(6^^?rgftr ¥RF W^i§l#'3(^#ce^/^life" ^^^^ '^ffi^\?ni- 
tS^filvfr^fiiihjitfB-'ki-HitiufflflMi ^aV^^ri^^^y^ tb ?Ae^d,i?i?^! ^I?qr^We 

ft?i?R8mtt^n6?i -^SsiKbii^' ^"'oq Ytdmaaes ariT .anil inoil srO 
eie>i-m^flc^'-'Wter^pJft-'^u^flli^'^fM)tl^ t^^^aivi1f(i?i'a'f''o;cf-^ 
A9n6!6'i6ffl6^:'^ H'AtieFliiJ'''8M'^s ^"fflfc Woftle "tellHge^ ^^^'ii" 

ai^^^'^f^iSs^^^m^S'Sf^^ ^fi^iilft"^tte*f)"^ftl?"°^ -"^"'^^ ^''''^^ 
nariw cT^briBmmoo iBJriomiggi io noiJ-jioaib ari} niriJiw Bail 

-loini nsriV/ .ajlnst io aonaeaiq aril aonuonnE siaviaado orii 

noiJBifiqaiq laJnuoo ,§nivom 91b gjfnfit Jsrit aamoD noitBiri 

eiadilBD lis io yTalliliB vd b^luoov.o ad Iliv/ agfinfid laJst bnx: 

z-Ansi 3dl seed nl .^nivom ais ajfriBj ariJ aiariw anos ariJ ni 

ni balBaonoa siwg .vUnBhii ariJ lo anil JaoqtiJO ariJ aJfiiianaq 

.aift ioaiib Hiiv/ madJ no baan ad Iliw enotiisoq biBv/-ioi 

->lnBft TalBi briB abslrina avig oj sb oa bifil ad Ilrw gang aaariT 

.e>InBi adJ toI rioBoiqqB io eattroi aldBdoiq odi -lavo sii\ s"' 

baiaJionnooai naad avBri anng >{nBJ-iJnB loi enoitiaoq aviH 

-Oer.Id?, :0^c.HS-a^Q.df. :OOI>f^S-00&.rd?; :00]^.HS-002.SA8 1b 

yd baialionnooai ad Iliw a-iadlO .eQO.a^S-EIS.IdS :CS8.HS 

baiiupai 9d Iliw enug aniriaBrrr ov/T .aiabnBmmoa lBJnarrti§ai 

dairnui Iliw viJriBini adJ bnB iwg rioBa io aanaiab adJ loi 

.fioiJibbK ni nooJBlq ilBd b to nooJBlq ano 

baiaJionnooai e>d Iliw aifl Jaaiib loi aldfiJioa atnamaoBlqrrrS 
ni baiquaao ad oJ ^yjoiUid odi io vJiniaiv alBibammi adJ ni 

.jIobJJb 'AriBl Iniaaaaoua io aaBa 



92 REGIMENTAL HISTORY 

XIII 

ANTI-TANK DEFENSE 

Enemy tanks usually assemble previous to attack at a dis- 
tance of from 4 to 5 kilometers from the front line while 
actual starting point for the attack is about 1000 meters from 
the front line. The assembly point for enemy tanks opposite 
the division sector can usually be foretold, hence observers 
should constantly be on the lookout for the occupation of 
these points. Concentrated fire upon these points of assembly 
lies within the discretion of regimental commanders when 
the observers announce the presence of tanks. When infor- 
mation comes that tanks are moving, counter preparation 
and later barrage will be executed by artillery of all calibers 
in the zone where the tanks are moving. In case the tanks 
penetrate the outpost line of the infantry, guns concealed in 
forward positions will be used on them with direct fire. 
These guns will be laid so as to give enfilade and later flank- 
ing fire over the probable routes of approach for the tanks. 
Five positions for anti-tank guns have been reconnoitered 
at 362.500-244.400: 361.300-244.100: 36.975-244.570: 361.190- 
244.825: 361.215-245.095. Others will be reconnoitered by 
regimental commanders. Two machine guns will be required 
for the defense of each gun and the infantry will furnish 
one platoon or a half platoon in addition. 

Emplacements suitable for direct fire will be reconnoitered 
in the immediate vicinity of the battery, to be occupied in 
case of successful tank attack. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY W 

CHAPTER XV 

PLAN OF LIAISON 

1. Liaison with infantry — The plan of liaison with infan- 
try furnished by the artillery of this division is shown in 
Annex IV. 

Liaison officers will make it their duty to obtain and or- 
ganize from the infantry O. P.'s information which is of 
value to the artillery. It is particularly important that re- 
ports on working parties, troops or traffic movements or other 
enemy activity, with which it is suitable for artillery to deal, 
be properly reported. Artillery liaison officers will make this 
their special mission. In addition, they will attempt to make 
clear to the infantry with whom they are working the restric- 
tions and possibilities of artillery as an arm of the service. 
Whenever reports arrive demanding artillery co-operation 
the following data must be furnished: 

1 . The mission asked of the artillery. 

2. The time. 

3. The location of the target by co-ordinates, if possible, 
or with reference to some well known point on the 
map. 

4. If a moving target is reported, whose direction can 
be foretold (Supply Train on road for example) the 
co-ordinates of the point they will reach eventually 
will be reported. At the time they reach that point, 
the infantry will report immediately so that their 
guns already laid may fire on the target at the proper 
moment. 

Liaison officers can make the artillery a strongly offensive 
arm of the service if the proper cooperative steps are taken. 



9gC IYB5GD[1V[2H]HTJS.A.TBCESLTIGDIH^ 

Whenever the front lines or supports of the infantry are 
subjected to hostile bomi^g^djpiiltgti*3HQ»asion officer will make 
every endeavor to provide the following information: 

1. Kind of shefl^9?5^el-, ^s?^^ft. E. or shrapnel). 
-n£?ni itiHFtozigfi W^'Wl^q arlT— xilnfiini riJiw noaisiJ .1 

ni ^7^o^e^•l^mmiPiM\ ^¥iic4?^^{^^m ^^^ c6*^ite'^!Hyi"n\ M^ 

^7 • ., r , ./I xannA 

compass, Y-aznnuth, reference to some town or 

-io bnieftJ^ffooSjth^iJgrWifl-ji) ji 3>l£m Iliv/ aiaoffio noeifiiJ 

^° 4! '¥\^'^ m'hWrl'ilBh bt%rt^ X-r1nBtn\ ,di rnoii a.inBS 
-91 Jfirii IriBJioqmi vhfifuoiJiBq ei Jl .YialliJiE ani oi suIbv 

ia4io 7.0 gJrpmavom pffl£7:t to eooijiJ .eailiBQ §ni>Iiow no gJioq 

The first duty of ,the .liasion .omcer .will, be to,. provide an 

.iBsb oj YialfiilB T.of .aldBfiua 21 ±1. rniny/ nJiv/ ,viivj}3B. xmang 

accurate traring 01 ±ne outp.gst luie pf the, organization to, 

siril o-ABmilrfr z-ioomp notifiil viaTpjTA ^LsJ-ioq^T vnaqoTq, ad 

wnich he is attached for the use, of the Headq-uarters 01 tne,, 

.9>lBm oJ JqxnsifjB Ulu vani .npiJiboB nl Jioicffim, iBiaaqa iiaril 

Artillerv Brigade. He will clot a,ccurately on -the map the 

-DnJeoH arfj ^ai^Tiow aij: v^rn monv/ rifiv/ ■'/^iJnBtni art} cf3 ib^Io 
poiats tor tinqmg the outpost line by:, day,,and also [the line-, 
, .93n/i,92 ariJ lo.TrnB riB .cB yJ^siIIijtb to. ebiJaidigaoa briB snoii 
by nignt, providing,.there is. a dmerence-in the, two lines. Th*A, 
. noiJETe>q0-O3 visiiitiB -sniDnBrnab ayniB. aiioqsj lavariarry/ 
informatron must be Kepf up. to gate, by him at, all times and,^ 
, ... , .D3!TSimuT ^d reurn, btbd sniwoiror arlJ 

the artillery promptly informed of any changes. Only by 

such work can the .baarHige l3ri4slbebad(2i5ra*ei5«iarBd3filicieAtly 

determined. 

.ami! snl .L 

Each time the signal for barrage is sent up. by his prganj^za- 
.•iejldveeog.,11 .aaiBnipiOjoo '/jd 1^iBi aril 10 noiJBpoI ad i , . c 
tibn ne vvill. rfeport tol5rigaTae rfeadquarters, ana^^to Tleadquar- 
^ bdj ao, Jnioa_ nY./on>l Ib.v/ sjnog oi 3:>n9T3i93 niiy/ jo 
ters or Tiis organization the time, tne Kina of rocket and the 

point from which the rocket is discharged. ' ^ 

!i£Q noiiosTib Aeoriv/ .haJToqai si issiBi snivom^j; ll , .^^ 
Tne, liaison omcer is tne urtermediary between tne infantry 
95i^.lJL31"1''"jK/'i9 101 QBoi no riiBi i 'dflqpc) pioJaipl id, , 
and, the artillerv. ,As sucTi lie. must; cornpTy wjtn vvnatever 
.vIlBuliiova n:;B>i Mr//- vari) nuoq an} lo .gajsnibio-qo . 
demands tne infantry , nray. make upon liim. CJn the other 
, .Jniog JBfii /i3B9i Y3dJ,5rni:t adl }A .faaJioqai.ad lliw ^ 
h^nd.he is also an ■artillery, officer and in arddifion to trans- 

iisxn iBiil . 02 ylaJBibajnmi ^iioqai lav/ vilriBtni, aru , 
mittmg to ,his commanding officei* tne, request 01 the infantry 
, i9qo,fqj.3ri}.i£ i9a?BJ. odl.np tiiri :i£^n pibi ydbsiIb gnu-g. ^ 
he will ^urnlsn technical informatron as may be of assistance 

in preparing the fire. For example, he will report definitely 

the point at which infantry may desire reprisal fire. He will 

$'d?f !EfPn^Si^'^v^t)f^rayaas'ifec^^lk^F(i ^^^om^ii^ mm-^, 



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REGIMENTAL HISTORY 95 



2. Visual Signalling. 

Communication will be supplemented by a system of visual 
signalling. Reconnaissance should be made to establish suit- 
able positions for projectors at points near the outpost line 
which will be connected by the necessary intermediary sta- 
tions with the most suitable permanent O-P. Regimental 
Commanders are charged with establishing one system of 
visual signalling in that part of the divisional sector assigned 
to them. Two qualified signal men will be on duty at all 
times in order to establish visual signalling liaison. Simple 
codes will be established requesting barrage and signalling 
that the artillery is firing short. Each time a small operation 
is planned on the front of the regiment sector, the visual sig- 
nalling liaison will be verified in advance and a simple code 
will be established to supplement the discharge of rockets. 

3. Telephone Communications. 

The plan of telephone communications is given in Annex V. 

4. Radio Communications. 

The plan of radio communication is given in VI. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORY 



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REGIMENTAL HISTORY 165 



APPENDIX D 

Permanent Organization, 342nd Field Artillery 

An association was formed by the officers of the 342nd 
Field Artillery at Niederweiss, Germany, in April, 1919. It is 
the aim of this organization to keep former members of the 
regiment in touch with each other, and to promote that end 
reunions are held, and a Bulletin, containing information of 
interest to the members, is published by Captain J. M. Cain, 
Atchison, Kansas. The Secretary of the Association is our 
former adjutant. Captain John S. Lehmann, Merchants-La- 
clede Building, St. Louis, Mo., who has in his possession com- 
plete records of every man who ever served with the regi- 
ment. All former members of the regiment are invited to 
join the Association. 



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